This invention relates generally to EMI filter assemblies, particularly of the type used in active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) such as cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, neurostimulators and the like, which decouple and shield internal electronic components of the medical device from undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals.
Compatibility of cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and other types of active implantable medical devices with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other types of hospital diagnostic equipment has become a major issue. If one goes to the websites of the major cardiac pacemaker manufacturers in the United States, which include St. Jude Medical, Medtronic and Guidant, one will see that the use of MRI is generally contra-indicated with pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. See also “Safety Aspects of Cardiac Pacemakers in Magnetic Resonance Imaging”, a dissertation submitted to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich presented by Roger Christoph Luchinger. “Dielectric Properties of Biological Tissues: I. Literature Survey”, by C. Gabriel, S. Gabriel and E. Cortout; “Dielectric Properties of Biological Tissues: II. Measurements and the Frequency Range 0 Hz to 20 GHz”, by S. Gabriel, R. W. Lau and C. Gabriel; “Dielectric Properties of Biological Tissues: III. Parametric Models for the Dielectric Spectrum of Tissues”, by S. Gabriel, R. W. Lau and C. Gabriel; and “Advanced Engineering Electromagnetics, C. A. Balanis, Wiley, 1989, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
However, an extensive review of the literature indicates that MRI is indeed often used with pacemaker patients. The safety and feasibility of MRI in patients with cardiac pacemakers is an issue of gaining significance. The effects of MRI on patients' pacemaker systems have only been analyzed retrospectively in some case reports. There are a number of papers that indicate that MRI on new generation pacemakers can be conducted up to 0.5 Tesla (T). MRI is one of medicine's most valuable diagnostic tools. An absolute contra-indication for pacemaker patients means that pacemaker and ICD wearers are excluded from MRI. This is particularly true of scans of the thorax and abdominal areas. Because of MRI's incredible value as a diagnostic tool for imaging organs and other body tissues, many physicians simply take the risk and go ahead and perform MRI on a pacemaker patient. The literature indicates a number of precautions that physicians should take in this case, including limiting the power of the MRI magnetic field, programming the pacemaker to fixed or asynchronous pacing mode, and then careful reprogramming and evaluation of the pacemaker and patient after the procedure is complete. There have been reports of latent problems with cardiac pacemakers after an MRI procedure occurring many days later.
There are three types of electromagnetic fields used in an MRI unit. The first type is the main static magnetic field which is used to align protons in body tissue. The field strength varies from 0.5 to 3.0 Tesla in most of the currently available MRI units in clinical use. Some of the newer MRI system fields can go as high as 4 to 5 Tesla. This is about 100,000 times the magnetic field strength of the earth. A static magnetic field can induce powerful mechanical forces on any magnetic materials implanted within the patient. This would include certain components within the cardiac pacemaker itself and or lead wire systems. It is not likely (other than sudden system shut down) that the static MRI magnetic field can induce currents into the pacemaker lead wire system and hence into the pacemaker itself. It is a basic principle of physics that a magnetic field must either be time-varying as it cuts across the conductor, or the conductor itself must move within the magnetic field for currents to be induced.
The second type of field produced by magnetic resonance imaging is the pulsed RF field which is generated by the body coil or head coil. This is used to change the energy state of the protons and illicit MRI signals from tissue. The RF field is homogeneous in the central region and has two main components: (1) the magnetic field is circularly polarized in the actual plane; and (2) the electric field is related to the magnetic field by Maxwell's equations. In general, the RF field is switched on and off during measurements and usually has a frequency of 21 MHz to 64 MHz to 128 MHz depending upon the static magnetic field strength.
The third type of electromagnetic field is the time-varying magnetic gradient fields which are used for spatial localization. These change their strength along different orientations and operating frequencies on the order of 1 kHz. The vectors of the magnetic field gradients in the X, Y and Z directions are produced by three sets of orthogonally positioned coils and are switched on only during the measurements.
Feedthrough terminal pin assemblies are generally well known in the art for use in connecting electrical signals through the housing or case of an electronic instrument. For example, in implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators and the like, the terminal pin assembly comprises one or more conductive terminal pins supported by an insulator structure for feedthrough passage of electrical signals from the exterior to the interior of the medical device. Many different insulator structures and related mounting methods are known for use in medical devices wherein the insulator structure provides a hermetic seal to prevent entry of patient body fluids into the medical device housing, where such body fluids could otherwise interfere with the operation of and/or cause damage to internal electronic components of the medical device.
In the past, two primary technologies have been employed to manufacture the hermetic seal. One technique involves the use of an alumina insulator which is metallized to accept brazing material. This alumina insulator is brazed to the terminal pin or pins, and also to an outer metal ferrule of titanium or the like. The alumina insulator supports the terminal pin or pins in insulated spaced relation from the ferrule which is adapted for suitable mounting within an access opening formed in the housing of the medical device. In an alternative technique, the hermetic seal comprises a glass-based seal forming a compression or matched fused glass seal for supporting the terminal pin or pins within an outer metal ferrule or housing.
The feedthrough terminal pins are typically connected to one or more lead wires which, in the example of a cardiac pacemaker, sense signals from the patient's heart and also couple electronic pacing pulses from the medical device to the patient's heart. Unfortunately, these lead wires can act as an antenna to collect stray electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals for transmission via the terminal pins into the interior of the medical device. Such unwanted EMI signals can disrupt proper operation of the medical device, resulting in malfunction or failure. For example, it has been documented that stray EMI signals emanating from cellular telephones can inhibit pacemaker operation, resulting in asynchronous pacing, tracking and missed beats. To address this problem, hermetically sealed feedthrough terminal pin assemblies have been designed to include a feedthrough capacitor for decoupling EMI signals in a manner preventing such unwanted signals from entering the housing of the implantable medical device. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,424,551; 5,333,095; 5,751,539; 5,905,627; 5,973,906; 6,008,980; and 6,566.978. These prior art feedthrough capacitor EMI filters generally provide a high degree of attenuation to EMI in the frequency range between 450 and 3000 MHz.
While feedthrough capacitor filter assemblies have provided a significant advance in the art, a remaining area of concern is powerful lower frequency emitters like MRI. As previously mentioned, feedthrough capacitors, as described in the prior art, work by providing a low impedance to ground (to the overall electromagnetic shield of the implantable medical device) thereby by-passing such high frequency signals before they can enter and disrupt sensitive pacemaker electronic circuitry. However, when a pacemaker lead wire system is exposed to a powerful time varying electromagnetic field, such as induced by MRI, the last thing that is desirable is to create low impedance in the lead wire system. A low impedance in the lead wire system only increases the current that would flow in the lead wires thereby creating additional lead wire heating and/or myocardial tissue necrosis at the pacemaker TIP to RING interface. Accordingly, it would be desirable to actually raise the impedance of the lead wire system at certain critical frequencies thereby reducing the undesirable currents in the lead wire system.
It is instructive to note how voltages and EMI are induced into an implanted lead wire system. At very low frequency (VLF), voltages are induced at the input to the cardiac pacemaker as currents circulate throughout the patient's body. Because of the vector displacement between the pacemaker housing and, for example, the TIP electrode, voltage drop across body tissues may be sensed due to Ohms Law and the circulating RF signal. At higher frequencies, the implanted lead wire systems actually act as antennas where currents are induced along their length. These antennas are not very efficient due to the damping effects of body tissue; however, this can often be offset by body resonances. At very high frequencies (such as cellular telephone frequencies), EMI signals are induced only into the first area of the lead wire system (for example, at the header block of a cardiac pacemaker). This has to do with the wavelength of the signals involved and where they couple efficiently into the system.
Magnetic field coupling into an implanted lead wire system is based on loop areas. For example, in a cardiac pacemaker, there is a loop formed by the lead wire as it comes from the cardiac pacemaker housing to its distal TIP located in the right ventricle. The return path is through body fluid and tissue generally straight from the TIP electrode in the right ventricle back up to the pacemaker case or housing. This forms an enclosed area which can be measured from patient X-rays in square centimeters. The average loop area is 200 to 225 square centimeters. This is an average and is subject to great statistical variation. For example, in a large adult patient with an abdominal implant, the implanted loop area is much larger (greater than 450 square centimeters).
Relating now to the specific case of MRI, the magnetic gradient fields would be induced through enclosed loop areas. However, the pulsed RF fields, which are generated by the body coil, would be primarily induced into the lead wire system by antenna action.
There are a number of potential problems with MRI, including:    (1) Closure of the pacemaker reed switch. A pacemaker reed switch, which can also be a Hall Effect device, is designed to detect a permanent magnet held close to the patient's chest. This magnet placement allows a physician or even the patient to put the implantable medical device into what is known as the magnet mode response. The magnet mode response varies from one manufacturer to another, however, in general, this puts the pacemaker into a fixed rate or asynchronous pacing mode. This is normally done for short times and is very useful for diagnostic purposes. However, when a pacemaker is brought close to the MRI scanner, the MRI static field can make the pacemaker's internal reed switch close, which puts the pacemaker into a fixed rate or asynchronous pacing mode. Worse yet, the reed switch may bounce or oscillate. Asynchronous pacing may compete with the patient's underlying cardiac rhythm. This is one reason why patients have generally been advised not to undergo MRI. Fixed rate or asynchronous pacing for most patients is not an issue. However, in patients with unstable conditions, such as myocardial ischemia, there is a substantial risk for ventricular fibrillation during asynchronous pacing. In most modern pacemakers the magnetic reed switch (or Hall Effect device) function is programmable. If the magnetic reed switch response is switched off, then synchronous pacing is still possible even in strong magnetic fields. The possibility to open and re-close the reed switch in the main magnetic field by the gradient field cannot be excluded. However, it is generally felt that the reed switch will remain closed due to the powerful static magnetic field. It is theoretically possible for certain reed switch orientations at the gradient field to be capable of repeatedly closing and re-opening the reed switch.    (2) Reed switch damage. Direct damage to the reed switch is theoretically possible, but has not been reported in any of the known literature. In an article written by Roger Christoph Luchinger of Zurich, he reports on testing in which reed switches were exposed to the static magnetic field of MRI equipment. After extended exposure to these static magnetic fields, the reed switches functioned normally at close to the same field strength as before the test.    (3) Pacemaker displacement. Some parts of pacemakers, such as the batteries and reed switch, contain ferrous magnetic materials and are thus subject to mechanical forces during MRI. Pacemaker displacement may occur in response to magnetic force or magnetic torque.    (4) Radio frequency field. At the frequencies of interest in MRI, RF energy can be absorbed and converted to heat. The power deposited by RF pulses during MRI is complex and is dependent upon the power and duration of the RF pulse, the transmitted frequency, the number of RF pulses applied per unit time, and the type of configuration of the RF transmitter coil used. The amount of heating also depends upon the volume of tissue imaged, the electrical resistivity of tissue and the configuration of the anatomical region imaged. Other variables that affect the degree of heating depend on the placement in the human body of the AIMD and its associated lead wire(s). For example, it will make a difference how much current is induced into a pacemaker lead wire system as to whether it is a left or right pectoral implant. In addition, the routing of the lead and the lead length are also very critical as to the amount of induced current and heating that would occur. Also, distal Tip design is very important as the distal Tip itself can act as its own antenna. The cause of heating in an MRI environment is two fold: (a) RF field coupling to the lead can occur which induces significant local heating; and (b) currents induced during the RF transmission can cause local Ohms Law heating next to the distal TIP electrode of the implanted lead. The RF field in an MRI scanner can produce enough energy to induce lead wire currents sufficient to destroy some of the adjacent myocardial tissue. Ablation has also been observed. The effects of this heating are not readily detectable by monitoring during the MRI. Indications that heating has occurred would include an increase in pacing threshold, myocardial perforation and lead penetration, or even arrhythmias caused by scar tissue. Such long term heating effects of MRI have not been well studied yet.            (5) Alterations of pacing rate due to the applied radio frequency field. It has been observed that the RF field may induce undesirable fast pacing (QRS complex) rates. There are various mechanisms which have been proposed to explain rapid pacing: direct tissue stimulation, interference with pacemaker electronics or pacemaker reprogramming (or reset). In all of these cases, it would be desirable to raise the impedance, make the feedthrough capacitor more effective and provide a very high degree of protection to AIMD electronics. This will make alterations in pacemaker pacing rate and/or pacemaker reprogramming much more unlikely.        (6) Time-varying magnetic gradient fields. The contribution of the time-varying gradient to the total strength of the MRI magnetic field is negligible, however, pacemaker systems could be affected because these fields are rapidly applied and removed. The time rate of change of the magnetic field is directly related to how much electromagnetic force and hence current can be induced into a lead wire system. Luchinger reports that even using today's gradient systems with a time-varying field up to 50 Tesla per second, the induced currents are likely to stay below the biological thresholds for cardiac fibrillation. A theoretical upper limit for the induced voltage by the time-varying magnetic gradient field is 20 volts. Such a voltage during more than 0.1 milliseconds could be enough energy to directly pace the heart.        (7) Heating. Currents induced by time-varying magnetic gradient fields may lead to local heating. Researchers feel that the calculated heating effect of the gradient field is much less as compared to that caused by the RF field and therefore may be neglected.        
There are additional problems possible with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs use different and larger batteries which could cause higher magnetic forces. The programmable sensitivity in ICDs is normally much higher than it is for pacemakers, therefore, ICDs may falsely detect a ventricular tachyarrhythmia and inappropriately deliver therapy. In this case, therapy might include anti-tachycardia pacing, cardio version or defibrillation (high voltage shock) therapies. MRI magnetic fields may prevent detection of a dangerous ventricular arrhythmia or fibrillation. There can also be heating problems of ICD leads which are expected to be comparable to those of pacemaker leads. Ablation of vascular walls is another concern. Fortunately, ICDs have a sort of built-in fail-safe mechanism. That is, if during an MRI procedure, they inadvertently sense the MRI fields as a dangerous ventricular arrhythmia, the ICD will attempt to charge up and deliver a high voltage shock. However, there is a transformer contained within the ICD that is necessary to function in order to charge up the high energy storage capacitor contained within the ICD. In the presence of the main static field of the MRI the core of this transformer tends to saturate thereby preventing the high voltage capacitor from charging up. This makes it highly unlikely that a ICD patient undergoing an MRI would receive an inappropriate high voltage shock therapy.
In summary, there are a number of studies that have shown that MRI patients with active implantable medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, can be at risk for potential hazardous effects. However, there are a number of anecdotal reports that MRI can be safe for extremity imaging of pacemaker patients (only when an MRI is thought to be an absolute diagnostic necessity). The effect of an MRI system on the function of pacemakers, ICDs and neurostimulators depends on various factors, including the strength of the static magnetic field, the pulse sequence (gradient and RF field used), the anatomic region being imaged, and many other factors. Further complicating this is the fact that each manufacturer's pacemaker and ICD designs behave differently. Most experts still conclude that MRI for the pacemaker patient should not be considered safe. Paradoxically, this also does not mean that the patient should not receive MRI. The physician must make an evaluation given the pacemaker patient's condition and weigh the potential risks of MRI against the benefits of this powerful diagnostic tool. As MRI technology progresses, including higher field gradient changes over time applied to thinner tissue slices at more rapid imagery, the situation will continue to evolve and become more complex. An example of this paradox is a pacemaker patient who is suspected to have a cancer of the lung. Treatment of such a tumor may require stereotactic imaging only made possible through fine focus MRI. With the patient's life literally at risk, the physician may make the decision to perform MRI in spite of all of the previously described attendant risks to the pacemaker system.
It is clear that MRI will continue to be used in patients with an implantable medical device. There are a number of other hospital procedures, including electrocautery surgery, lithotripsy, etc., to which a pacemaker patient may also be exposed. Accordingly, there is a need for circuit protection devices which will improve the immunity of active implantable medical device systems to diagnostic procedures such as MRI. There is also a need to provide increased filtering for AIMD's due to the recent proliferation in the marketplace of new higher power emitters. These include aftermarket cellular telephone amplifiers, associated higher gain antennas and radio frequency identification (RFID) readers and scanners. The present invention fulfills all of these needs and provides other related advantages.